Under the Weeping Willow
by Aly424
Summary: Monica Rodriguez comes of a wealthy family, whether it be from a Royal Hispanic Bloodline, or a Crime Lord Bloodline, her life still feels shattered after she let go of her one love. RATING MAY CHANGE AS STORY PROGRESSES.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

**A/N: I do not own any characters except my OCs.**

_"__Weeping willow with your tears running down, why do you always weep and frown? Is it because he left you one day? is it because he could not stay? On your branches he would swing, do you long for the happiness that day would bring? He found shelter in your shade. You thought his laughter would never fade. Weeping willow, stop your tears. There is something to calm you fears. You think death has ripped you forever apart. But I know he'll always be in your heart."_

_-My Girl 1991 (Film)_

* * *

><p><em>"<em>_Don't you wish we can stay under this tree forever?" he asked me as I hung upside down from one of the branches like a 6 year old._

_"__I wish."_

_"__Life will come to an end anyways…"_

_"__Ozzie, we can't just be together forever."_

_"__Then find me."_

* * *

><p>I jolted awake, back to my reality. My hairline was drenched in sweat from the dream I had awoken from. I ran my finger through my hair, taking in the space around me. I wasn't near the willow tree. I wasn't young. I wasn't with…<p>

"Mijita! ¡Ven aqui!" my mother called from the kitchen. I got out of bed and into my slippers. I trotted down the stairs into the kitchen area.

"Yeah mom?" Up to this day, I am ashamed to say I am 26 and living with my mother.

"Okay, so my friend, Marianna, told me about this restaurant in The Narrows and she wants you to try their food. Besides, your father asked for you to meet him there. Go check it out!" she told me in her thick accent.

I rolled my eyes and slightly groaned.

"¡Oye! Don't give me that attitude!" she snapped. Growing up in a royal Dominican family, respect was a huge thing.

I gave her a nod and grasped for the peach that was sitting on top of the food bowl and took a bite out of it.

"Fine," I hollered at her from the other room, grabbing my purse and keys.

* * *

><p>I pulled up in front of the restaurant. It didn't look so bad. But hey, it looked better than any other building here. Taking a moment to forget my morning awakening, I swung the door open and walked into the restaurant.<p>

"Monica! La mia bella ragazza!" I heard Maroni's voice call out from the kitchen. He placed his hands on my cheeks and kissed my forehead. "How is your madre?" he asked, brushing a chunk of my hair behind my ear.

"She's…fine." I replied awkwardly. I never liked it when he asked about my mother. It made me feel uncomfortable.

"You wanted to meet with me?" I asked him.

"Ah, yes. Please, sit," he replied gesturing me to sit at the middle table. "Oh, there is someone I wanted you to meet." He rushed into the kitchen and called out a name.

"Paolo!"

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys! I decided it was time to do a "Gotham" fan fiction. And who else to write about than none other than the handsome, the gorgeous, the hypnotizing, OSWALD COPPLEPOT :D I hope you enjoy :*<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The figure appeared through the swinging doors. My jaw slightly dropped as I gasped. I couldn't believe my eyes.

I closed my mouth. My reaction went from surprised to angry.

"Can we speak…alone," I asked 'Paolo' holding back any angry tone. He nodded. I glanced at Maroni, who shuffled into the kitchen. I waited until he was out of sight.

"Monica I-"

Before he could finish his sentence, I grabbed his arm and dragged him to the back of the restaurant where the dumpsters were.

"Where have you been all along!?" I shouted. "Why did you leave me!?"

"Monica. I can't tell you. It's a long story…" he replied with guilt in his eyes.

"I have time." I crossed my arms and slanted my right hip impatiently. Nothing came out of his mouth. I raised my eyebrow in slight anger.

"I'm sorry. But I can't tell you."

Holding back tears, a reflex snapped and I slapped his face, hard. The sound echoed off the brick walls. The left side of his face was left bright red.

I rolled my eyes and covered my eyes with my hair, trying to be strong. I shook my head and bit my lip.

"I thought you were different Oswald." And without another word, I walked away from him and to the restaurant. Maroni greeted me again at the same table we were at.

"Principessa! What do you say if we grab a few cocktails and chat for a bit?" he asked with a suggestive grin.

"Now isn't a great time, maybe another day," I replied, staring right past him to where Oswald was washing dishes. My eyes burned with hatred.

"No problem. You are welcome any time. And , uh, tell your mother that I need to talk to her." He moved in closer to me and wrapped his arms around me.

"Bye," I whispered.

* * *

><p>The car ride home was uneventful. When I arrived, my mother was on the couch, drinking fine wine, while watching her telenovelas.<p>

"Ey Monica, tell me what happened at Maroni's?" she yelled from her seat. I placed my bag on the counter and sat next to her.

"Well, I told him to reschedule."

"Why?"

I bit my lip. "I saw Oswald there," I sighed.

My mom's actions came to an abrupt stop and she shut off the T.V. "Mijah!" She began cursing in Spanish and rapidly speaking. _"¡Pero ande el diablo! ¡Dios mio!¿¡Y por que ese boca de suape esta aqui!?" _It just went on, and on.

She finally took a breath and went back to English. "Monica, I just don't want you to get hurt again. You remember how you were when he left?"

I nodded my head. "Mami, I can take care of myself.

She took a deep breath and came to realization. "Okay then."

* * *

><p>I sat on my bed looking at my old photo album. The majority of pictures were of me and Oswald. One in particular tugged my heart strings. The one in the very back. Ozzie took me to prom when no one else would. We were both misfits. I wore my purple and black striped gown and he wore his dapper tux. We both looked like freaks. But we were freaks together.<p>

"Oh, the nostalgia," I grinned.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Chapter 2 up already? Yup, I have a lot of free time since it's winter break. I might be generous and post up a new Unfortunate chapter :D I might add a bit more Oswald in the next chapter, but for now, we need to focus on Monica. Don't be afraid to review and favorite :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I awoke the next morning bright and early. I rapidly fixed up a bowl of cereal and gulped it all down.

"Good morning," my mother muttered as she shuffled her way into the living room and flopped onto the couch. I decided to stay out of her business.

"Mami, I'm going to Maroni's restaurant again today," I told her.

"Okay. Tell him that his child support payment is due tomorrow," she replied, laying a moist towel on her forehead.

* * *

><p>"Hello?" I called out. The restaurant was a ghost town, yet it was open.<p>

"In here!" a voice cried out in pain. My instincts kicked in and I sprinted to the kitchen. That was then I realized that it was Oswald. He was sprawled helplessly on the floor. Pieces of glass were laid out around him. He had a massive gash on his foot.

"¡Ay Dios!" I exclaimed. "What happened!?"

"I was washing dishes early. I was carrying some dishes to the sink, and one of the giant knives fell off and landed on my foot." He hissed in pain violently. My head frantically inspected the room for a First-Aid kit. The bleeding intensified.

"Who the HELL doesn't have a First-Aid kit in a kitchen!?" I grumbled angrily. I reached for the nearest towel and wrapped it around his wound. The blood oozed through the towel.

"It's not working," he complained, holding the towel in place. A lightbulb then lit up in my head. "Stay here," I commanded. I stood up and dashed over to one of the cabinets where a bottle of grain alcohol was.

"This might sting a little." I uncapped the bottle and slowly poured some of the contents into the wound. Oswald let out a painful howl. He snatched the bottle out of my hand and sent it flying to the other side of the room. "It's just going to clean some of the bacteria so your foot won't get cut off!" I snapped. He began to get on my nerves.

His breathing became less shallow than before as he began to calm down. Once the searing pain was over, it was smooth sailing.

When I went to take the towel off, he placed his hand on top of mine purposely.

"Thanks," he simply said. I quickly removed the towel and replaced it with a fresh new one.

"You should, um, get that checked out."

"Maybe."

"Alo!?" It was Maroni. Quietly, I helped Oswald to his feet, or foot, and had to act normal.

The doors swung open. "Monica? What are you doing here?"

"We rescheduled…remember?" I said, confused. Maroni just gave me a fake smile and nodded.

"Ah, yes." He then took a deep breath. I bit my lip with great force as his facial expression changed. "Is that…alcohol?" he asked as his head peered over to the spill.

"Must've fallen," Oswald stepped in with a nervous,yet believable, laugh. I awkwardly laughed along.

_"__Don't say a word,"_ my eyes told Oswald. He gave a slight nod, agreeing.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: As promised, more Oswald scenes :) They didn't interact much, but hey, it's a start :D Maybe next chapter I'll add more action between them. Don't be afraid to review. New chapter up tomorrow possibly.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Maroni and I sat at our usual table in the middle of the restaurant. It was dead silent, except for the workers in the back.

"Now, where we left off from yesterday. What was it that you needed to ask me?" I asked.

He adjusted his tie and cleared his throat. "Now Monica, I know you're turning 27 in a few weeks. I was about your age when my father passed down this business to me. And then he died, so I had no choice…"

"So, you're saying that you're going to die and you want to inherit this 'business' to me?"

"I won't die just yet. But yes, I do have a position open for you."

I bit my lip and my forehead puckered slightly. "I appreciate the offer, but I think I'll have to pass."

Maroni sighed in disappointment, then shook his head. "Monica, this is a great opportunity. You can control this city, like I do. You will have unlimited power."

"You mean, HALF power. You haven't forgotten about your old buddy, Falcone, have you?"

"He's nothing. He doesn't hold a cake to our power."

"Don't get cocky old man."

"Don't you dare disrespect me," he retorted.

I placed my elbow on the table and covered my mouth with my hand. My eyes sneakily shifted over to Oswald who continued to wash dishes.

"I'll think about it."

Maroni smirked. "Excellent. We'll talk soon. Ciao," he said, getting up to kiss both of my cheeks.

"Oh, and my mother wanted me to remind you that the child support bill is due tomorrow."

He groaned in annoyance and reached for his wallet. "Sometimes your mother is a pain in the ass,"

* * *

><p>When I got home, my mom was nowhere to be seen. There was a note taped to the refrigerator. "<em>Monica, I went out with a few friends. We're probably in Vegas by the time you read this note. I'm sure you can care for yourself for 3 days. Just order a pizza or something. I left $500 in case you need it. If you need anything, just call your father. Love, Madre."<em>

I giggled in excitement. The whole house for a few days. It was going to be the best. Or, so I thought…

I went to bed early that night. After my whole "medical operation" on Oswald, I was pretty exhausted. Just as I was drifting off, I heard a window being smashed. I instantly awoke and clutched onto my Swiss army knife off of my dresser and slid it into my side pocket.

_Thud Thud Thud! _Went the footsteps of the criminals. My breathing became shallow as the footsteps grew closer. I held my breath as the footsteps stopped in front of my room. Not a sound was made.

"I think she's in here," a faint voice said. I clenched my teeth, holding back a sob.

The door burst open. The first gunman pointed his weapon to my head. "Keep quiet and you won't get hurt." Bugged eyed, I obeyed and kept my mouth shut. The gunman gestured to the other. He slowly inched closer to me and covered my mouth with a gag and tied my hands together. A blindfold followed and blocked my vision.

"Don Falcone is expecting you."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thank you to the guest who reviewed. I always like to receive constructive criticism to help improve my stories. Yes, next chapter I will try my best to give Monica more dimension, and make her less like a Mary-Sue. This chapter was just something to get up quickly because I need to catch up on HW D; Love you all :***


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The blindfold was yanked off of my eyes, exposing me to the bright light. We were in some kind of bar, or entertainment center. I felt the tight rope becoming looser on my hands.

"I see you made it alive. Great to have you here." I squinted, trying to take in all of the light.

"Don Falcone. The pleasures all mine." I rolled my wrists. "Is there a reason to have kidnapped me in the middle of the night. I don't think my father will be too happy about this."

Falcone chuckled, then snapped. The cold end of a gun clicked as it was located to the side of my head. "You say anything and I'll have my friend here blow your brains out." It took me a while to process, but I just nodded in agreement. "I'm glad we have an understanding."

He got out of his seat and circled around me. "It seems to me that I have a little bird in your father's restaurant who told me that he offered you to inherit the Maroni Crime Family when the old man is gone."

"And who might this little birdie be?" I slowly reached into my pocket and clutched onto my army knife.

"The one they call Penguin." The name didn't seem to ring any bells at first. I brushed it off for a while. "On any hand, there's something special about you, Monica. You're too special. You know how your father works. I know what you can bring to the Maroni Crime Family. And that worries me. There can only be **one great crime family."**

**"**And you think that I will stop you from doing it?"

"Maroni wouldn't choose someone he didn't think deserved to take his place. And who other than his own daughter, the woman he's known since she was born."

I lost it there. I stood to my feet and my fist pounded the table. "My father never bothered to be there for me! He left my mother when I was just 2 years old! And for what!? His damn crime family instead of his real one!"

Falcone had a satisfying look on his face. "Daddy issues, huh?" he chuckled.

"Shut. Up." I managed to say, gritting my teeth. I wiped away one tear that rolled down my cheek.

"Your father cared about anyone. He only cared about his money. Do you really want money from the man that abandoned you and your helpless mother?"

Thats when I came to realization. Falcone was trying to get into my head.

"You're a tough girl, Monica. As long as you stay away from your father's offer, there will be peace between us."

"Then this means war."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yeah, this chapter was a bit too short. I'm having a bit of inspiration block for what to do next. I really want to get more Oswald and Monica action going on. Just leave suggestions and I'll try to include them in :) May the best idea win ;3**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I stormed out of the bar with fury in each step. Tears poured down my face like a leaky faucet. Falcone was right. My dad never cared for me, at least not until now. He didn't know what I went through, especially in my teens. I did just fine with my mother. I had a big house, lots of money, but not even that filled the empty void in my heart.

"Monica!" a voice called out from a distance. It was Oswald. He waddled over to me. A _Penguin._

I gritted my teeth as he approached me. I quickly wiped the tears from my face. "Hey, what are you doing here? Are you crying?"

"No shit Oswald. I have feelings too," I barked. Oswald then backed off a bit, but continued to follow me.

"What happened?" I had continue to ignore him. I quickened my pace to get away. When I was at a safe distance, I walked normally again until I got home.

"I'm home!" _Oh that's right. Mom's gone._ Taking in a sigh of relief, I flopped onto the couch and relaxed my muscles. My mind was still processing after what I just experienced.

My eyes slowly began to close themselves from exhaustion. It was a long night and I hardly got enough sleep. The interrogation lasted for about 2-3 hours, including the abduction. So it was about 5 AM.

"At last. I'm asleep."

* * *

><p>I slept like a baby until the following day. When I got up from the couch, my muscles were on fire. My legs and parts of my arms were bruised. I especially hissed in pain when my hip got stabbed by the side of the coffee table. I wiped the morning residue from my eyes and stretched my arms. I slowly staggered over to the bathroom. I glanced at myself in the mirror. My hair was a complete rat's nest. I groaned in frustration. My muscles hurt so much, just reaching for the toothpaste was a struggle.<p>

Just then, there was a knock at the door. I sneakily peered to see who it was from the crack through the bathroom door and through the window. It was Maroni.

"Shit," Monica muttered. I set the toothpaste aside and tried to keep myself together as I went to confront him. I latched onto the door handle, took a breath, and opened it.

"What are you doing here? How did you find me?"

"I'm your father, it's my business to know where your mother and you are living," he replied, walking past me and inviting himself in. I crossed my arms and huffed in annoyance. "Nice place. Your mother, where is she now?"

"She went to Vegas for a few days," I answered vaguely, trying to cover my arms. If he saw the bruises, he'd go psycho on me. But it was too late, he already noticed. He gave me a stern look.

"What happened to your arms?" his question was neither comforting, nor strict, but somewhere in between. I shrugged my shoulders. He asked again, but with more force in his tone.

I sighed. "It's no big deal. But…I may or may not have been abducted last night…" my voice got squeakier for each word I got out. I watched as Maroni's facial expressions rapidly changed. And then he went psycho and began to curse in Italian.

_"__Oh mio Dio, cazzo . Perché diavolo non me l'hai detto prima questo !? Giuro su Dio che troverò chi ha fatto questo e cazzo li Kil!"_

_"_Calm down! It's no big deal! I'm fine! Nothing bad happened to me!" I tried to reason with him until his tempered slowly declined. I told him to sit on the couch and relax. The silence became awkward until Maroni asked the million dollar question.

"Who did this to you?"

I nervously bit my lip. "I know you're not going to like this. But…it was Falcone." I slightly cringed, thinking that he was going to flip out. Surprisingly, he was rather calm, like it didn't surprise him.

"Don… are you okay?" He nodded curtly.

"I must go now. I will catch up with you later," he said his goodbyes, enveloped me in a hug, and left. I wiped the sweat off my forehead.

"This can't be good," I whimpered.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hi guys. I'm so incredibly sorry this chapter is up late. A few things happened. First, I went on vacation for about a week. Second, I'm in drama club and the show is coming up soon and I have a pretty big part so really need to rehearse. And third, I am a huge procrastinator. So again, I'm sorry. Next, I took down "Unfortunate" because I don't think I'm ready to take a shot at writing a Joker fanfic until I've studied him a bit more because I'll probably get a lot of shit if I write the story wrong. And um, I'm a bit embarrassed to say I use Google Translate for Maroni. I'm a bit rusty. But for the Spanish, I don't because I actually am Hispanic. Okay. I'm done now :) I'll try my hardest to post another chapter soon. Thank you for all of your support and the reviews. I really appreciate it. I'll be back with more. Leave any suggestions if you have any. Byeee :***


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Maroni was pissed. Nobody lays hands on his daughter and gets away with it. He drove off in his vehicle to where he would meet Falcone at Fish Mooney's restaurant.

"Don Maroni," Fish Mooney greeted with a somewhat earnest grin. She planted two kisses on Maroni's cheeks, as a sign of "respect" to him.

"Fish Mooney. Is Falcone around?"

"He just so happens to be in the back. You sit down and I'll get him for you," she replied as she strutted away.

Maroni sat still in his seat as he waited to Falcone to show up. Then, Falcone burst out of the back area with Fish Mooney by his side.

"Maroni," Falcone simply greeted.

"Falcone," Maroni replied. Falcone then took a seat across from Maroni was. Fish Mooney accompanied him and sat beside him. She elegantly crossed her legs and was ready to suck in any information that Maroni spilled.

"What brings you here?" Falcone asked.

Maroni tried to keep a calm expression. "I couldn't help but notice that your men have come in contact with my daughter recently."

Falcone chuckled. "It was nothing personal."

"You abducted her from her own home."

"I just needed to have a little chat with the little lady."

"And what did you say to her?"

"That I believe that she is not capable of handling such a commitment as to run your crime family. That she doesn't want to inherit all of your money. And I may have added something about your…um… 'family issues.'"

Maroni mentally flipped out, but on the outside, he remained absolutely calm. "You have no right to interfere with my decision on who I appoint next. You stay out of my goddamn business. If I catch any of your men hurting my daughter or family, you will pay." Falcone's smirk was wiped away by his words.

"Alright then. I apologize."

* * *

><p>After my dad left the house, I pondered about what he was going to do. I let out a sigh. It was his business. Then, my phone began to vibrate softly from the kitchen island. I picked it up by the fourth ring.<p>

"Hello?"

_"__Monica?"_

"Oswald?"

_"__Hi. Um, how are you?"_

"Okay. You?"

_"__Fine."_

There was a brief silence in the conversation.

"Um, why are you calling?"

_"__Is there something wrong with calling an old friend?"_

"No. It's just… you haven't called me since high school. I'm not used to hearing your voice."

_"__Well, I have a offer for you."_

"Oh?"

"_Meet me at Willow Park in 20 minutes. Let me buy you something to eat. Do you eat fish?"_

"No, I'm a vegetarian. And, why Willow Park?"

_"__I need to show you something."_

I hesitated slightly with my last response. "Okay. But I don't have much time. I have to be home by the time my mother gets back."

_"__Great, see you there."_

* * *

><p>I swerved around the curb to Willow Park, the old hangout of Oswald and I. The memories made me feel nostalgic. I saw Oswald by the giant willow tree.<p>

"Hi," I greeted. Oswald gave me a sincere smile when he saw me. "You look spiffy," I chuckled at the sight of Oswald in a dapper green and purple suit with an umbrella by his side.

"Thanks. You don't look to bad yourself."

We both sat atop the giant willow's sturdy branches.

"God, I haven't been here in ages." I gasped slightly.

"Senior Prom."

I took in the familiar sweet scents of the tree.

"This is the only part of Gotham that isn't corrupt and going to hell." Oswald snickered at my remark.

A few minutes passed without us saying anything, but just enjoying the scenery. I swung my body around the branch to face Oswald.

"What happened after graduation?"

Oswald's face fell. "I just had to go. I couldn't stand being picked on. Names like Penguin." I squinted in confusion.

"But you had me. I would defend you."

"Even your defense began to get weak," he retorted. Those words hurt me like a knife to the heart.

"Oh, so you think that your life was so bad?"

"Of course. My family wasn't rich nor blessed with happiness."

I scoffed at his idiotic remark. "You think riches and wealth can make me happy? You don't know what I endured after that. I was helpless!"

"So now you need a man to protect you?"

"Oswald, I was fucking raped!" I lashed out. My words bounced out the walls of the willow's leaves and I was left in tears.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hiiii! I was able to get this chapter up early because theres a blizzard where I live so I have a few days off, so I might post a chapter up ****tomorrow. As you may have noticed, I switched from 3rd person to 1st person. Since this story is told from Monica's perspective, I will sometimes go into 3rd person to help move the story along. Thank you all for your support on this story! I don't think I could improve without the constructive criticism (which I am happy to receive). Thank you and I'll see y'all tomorrow! :***


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

I stormed away from the park to my car. Tears were running down my face and onto the ground, leaving a trail.

"Monica!" Oswald called out behind me. I quickened my pace to try to avoid him. "Go away!"

"You can't run away from your problems forever!" I stopped dead in my tracks to confront him.

"What the hell do you want!?"

"Tell me what happened."

I gritted my teeth and choked back a sob. I breathed in heavily and wiped away the tears from my eyes.

"Come with me," I demanded. Oswald obediently followed me to my car. He sat in the passenger seat. We sat in silence for a little while until I was ready to speak.

"It happened after graduation…"

**_Flashback**_

_You had just disappeared out of nowhere and I was kind of upset. After the graduation party, some friends and I went to a local bar and got drunk. I only had a few drinks, but not enough to be drunk. I offered to drive them home. It was around midnight. After I dropped them off, my car broke down in the Narrows. I knew I was screwed. I tried to call my mom, but she was already asleep. I tried to call my dad, but he told me he was in an important conference. I then felt a knife up against my throat._

_"__Move and you die," the voice said. My body tensed up and I was ready to burst into tears. I had to do what he said. He pinned me up against the wall. The worst part was that he wasn't alone. Two other guys came up behind him and started undressing me. No matter how loud I screamed for help, I felt like I was unheard. He did his deed and just left me there. I was found by one of my dad's men and brought back to him. I had to lie to him. I told him I got drunk and ended up in the Narrows. _

_**Back to Reality**_

Oswald stared at me in horror. His jaw slightly dropped. "Monica, I didn't know…"

"No one does. You're the first person I've told." I wiped the tears away and sniffled. "You can't tell anyone, especially my dad."

"No problem." I gave him a quick death stare, not knowing whether I should trust him or not. He was the one to tell Falcone about my new inheritance.

"Okay. I trust you Ozzie."

He chuckled softly.

* * *

><p>I checked my watch to see the time.<p>

"3:48" it read. I had about 15 minutes before my mom got home. I pulled up into the driveway to see that another car was parked in my spot.

"Damn. What is it, visit the Rodriguez household day?" I mumbled under my breath in annoyance. I parked my car on the street corner and rushed inside.

"Hello? Anyone home?"

"¡Hija!" a voice called out. It was my mom. She had on an elegant red mermaid tail dress that emphasized her plump hourglass figure.

"Mom! You're home!" I beamed. She slowly made her way down the long spiral staircase, to make her entrance more dramatic. "Wow, you look great!"

"Thank you, muñeca. My friend Stefan picked it out for me in Vegas," she said. She looked so beautiful. She was like a model. And it was all natural. I often wondered if I could live up to that standard.

My mom always wanted to be a model, ever since she was a little girl. She grew up with a single mother and 5 other siblings. She was one of the middle children, so she was often forgotten. Her dad was never around, just like mine, but he was the one with all of the money. He gave his family just enough money to immigrate to the U.S, but the best place they could go was Gotham.

There, my mother found work in a local bar to help support the family. At the age of 17, her mother died of cancer. At that point, the whole family fell apart. They eventually ran out of money. Two of her younger siblings died of starvation. But one faithful day, an agent from Las Vegas offered my mom to become a makeup model. But in order for that to happen, she would've had to leave her family. And she did. They all encouraged her to. She left to Vegas for a few years and made millions that she would send back to her family here in Gotham. She was almost as rich as the Wayne's.

After a while, she became homesick and returned to Gotham, only to find out that her family had died. Who knows what they did with their money. She then settled down for a while. And that's when she met my day, Salvatore Maroni. They had their ups and downs. Once they were married, they had me.

I never realized how much of a burden I was when I was born. I felt like my dad left because I was a weight holding him down. When I turned 6, my mom asked for a divorce. She claims that he was focusing too much on his work and not his actual family. When he left, she was depressed for some time. But she managed to crawl out of it and raise me. Since then, she never went back to being a model. Until she went to Vegas, I believe.

"Mom, do you miss modeling?" I asked. She softly sighed and tried to smile.

"Mijah, ever since your father left, I gave it up. I no longer have the body I used to have. I'm a bit rough around my edges." I half smiled. She was just a bit insecure. "Don't worry about me. I am perfectly happy living here with you. Now tell me, what did I miss while I was gone? Did you do anything exciting?"

I was startled that she asked me. _"I can't tell her about the abduction."_ "No. I didn't do anything interesting."

"Ah, don't be like that! Come on, tell me," she persisted as she sat on the edge of the couch.

I bit my lip as a nervous habit. "I…*sigh* I was abducted….?" My mom chuckled, but then looked at me seriously when she saw that I wasn't laughing.

"What!?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please don't kill me. I forgot to upload this chapter yesterday. Then I realized they canceled school AGAIN! And there's suppose to be another blizzard tomorrow, so there's a 50/50 chance of me posting another chapter up tomorrow. But we'll see. So I decided to add a bit of Selena Rodriguez's (her mom) backstory. But that's all for now. Hope you enjoy :***


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I shut my eyes tight, wishing I could disappear. I knew my mother would be upset. It sometimes terrified me how upset she can be. Whether it's suicidal or psychopathic, you never want to be in her path.

She took a long breath before speaking. "When did this happen?" she asked softly.

"Huh?"

"Did I _stutter!?"_ she growled, gritting her teeth. "When. Did. It. Happen?" She pronounced every letter and syllable.

"Like, two nights ago. Maybe three." She sighed. She was clearly irritated.

"_Hay Dios mio, ayudanos,"_ she prayed. She massaged her forehead and temples. Not even giving me another look, she strutted over to the kitchen where the home phone was. She punched in a few numbers and let the phone ring. She clicked on the speaker button. Her index finger sternly gestured me to come over to her, then sit in one of the chairs.

"Who are you-''

"Hello?" the voice from the other end said.

"Salvatore," my mother replied earnestly, keeping any trace of anger or happiness inside of her.

"Daniela? What happened? Is Monica okay?"

My mom squinted. Yeah, that's her name. Daniela Rodriguez. Her name means "God is my judge". Of course, like the hothead she is, she believes that no one controls her. "Monica is fine right now."

"Right now? What do you mean right now?"

Mom chuckled. "Because you never told me about her being kidnapped. Under _your_ supervision."

"Mom, he wasn't supervising m-"

"¡_Callate!"_ she hissed at me. If I dared interrupt, she'd have my head. "When I'm away, _you_ take care of her. Your daughter, your responsibility."

I rolled my eyes. This conversation was pathetic. I decided to let them solve it out. When my mom was caught up in her accusations, I tiptoed up to my room. Up the staircase I went. I slowly closed the door behind me. I let out a sigh of relief.

"Serenity," I snickered.

* * *

><p>With all of my free time, I decided to take a hour nap to catch up on my sleep. But even in my dreams, Oswald was there. He was like a stalker. He followed me everywhere. My eyes shifted over to my phone, debated whether to call him or not. But my hands had made up their mind before my brain did and snatched the phone. I scrolled through my contacts and tapped on his number.<p>

It rang for a few seconds.

"_Hello?"_

"Hello, Oswald?"

_"__Oswald is not here at the moment."_

I was confused. "I'm sorry, who is this?"

The caller on the other end cackled. _"Just a friend of his." _A scream echoed in the background.

"What was that?"

_"__Mind your own business, girl. Don Falcone won't be happy with you interfering."_ The caller hung up immediately. My eyes bulged. Don Falcone has Oswald? Why? Well, whatever had happened, Oswald was in trouble. I groaned. _"Maybe they want a ransom,"_ I thought. I knew that going into Falcone territory would cause trouble, but Oswald was my friend.

I reached for my wallet and stuffed some extra bills into my pockets. Silently, I unlocked my window and crept out onto my balcony. The window from the living room was open and all I heard were the novelas my mom was watching. My feet gripped onto the railing as I catapulted myself over. My room was on the second floor, so it was quite a drop from the balcony to the ground. I landed on the garage roof. From there, I slid down the roof onto the ground. Not wanting to draw any attention, I just took my vespa.

* * *

><p>I parked my vespa outside of the one place I knew where they could have kept him, Fish Mooney's restaurant. There was no way that Falcone would want to stain his carpet in Oswald's blood, so he has someone else do the tough work. There were two guards standing at the entrance.<p>

"State your name," one said. I looked deeply into his shades.

"Maria Jenkins," I lied. I pulled out my old fake ID I used to keep in high school. Oswald and I would use them to buy liquor and shit. The other guard nodded and let me in.

"_That was easy,"_ I thought. I was led by the guard to the main dining area. There weren't many people there. There was a slow jam playing in the background.

"Take a seat," the guard said, showing me an empty table near the front of the stage. He pulled my chair out and let me sit. I briefly spaced out as I waited for Fish.

Out of nowhere, two dark fingers snapped in front of my face. I snapped back to reality. Fish Mooney. "You wanted to see me?" She adjusted her hot red colored bangs.

"Miss Mooney! Hi, I'm-"

"I know who you are. Maroni's kid." I don't know what it was, but people have a tendency to cut me off mid sentence. And it really pissed me off. "What do you want?"

"I'm here for Oswald. I know you have him. It was your voice on the phone."

Mooney chuckled. "And you want him?"

I nodded, confused. "Of course I do. He's my friend."

Mooney laughed even harder. "Oh, isn't that sweet. I hate to break it to you, darling, but your 'friend' here is a scumbag." I reached for my pocket and pulled out a stash of bills and slammed them on the table.

"Bring him to me now," I demanded.

"You honestly think that $500 in bills will release him?" she asked, counting the money I gave her.

"The 500 is his bail. Besides, Oswald works for my dad. And I'm pretty sure either of our Dons will be happy that we've been messing with each other's territory." Mooney gave me a death glance and a quiet growl.

"Butch," she called over her shoulder. "Release Penguin."

Butch was confused. "Why?"

"Because I said so," she snapped, passing him a portion of the money. He nodded curtly and went to the back to retrieve my prize.

Moments later, a damaged Oswald waddled out of the back to me. His nose was bleeding heavily. Bruises forming on his face. "Oh lord."

"Monica, thank you for-"

"Quiet," I muttered.

"Next time, you won't be so lucky," Mooney retorted, pointing at Oswald. "As for you," she began, looking at me. "Stay out of Don Falcone's business. We don't need another person getting hurt."

I nodded. I grasped Oswald's arm and pulled him out of the restaurant. I could hear him snickering. As soon as we reached outside, I gave him a hard slap on the face.

"What the _hell_ was going on in there!? I had to sacrifice $500 in cash to save your ass again!"

"Monica, chill. I've got it all under control!"

"Dammit it Oswald. Why do you need to go poking your nose into everyone's business?"

"Okay, I promise that I'll try to mind my own business." I sneered at him, not being satisfied with his response.

"Just come on," I said, pulling him to the vespa. "Get on after me."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hallelujah! This chapter is finally up. Its now that I realize how big of a procrastinator I am. Thanks for being so patient. The show is in 4 weeks and I'm stressing, so it might be a while until I post another chapter. Kay, byeee :***


End file.
